Medical appointment no-shows are such a widespread issue that countless data analysts have gathered and studied their prevalence and impact over the years. Across all of those studies and reports, one fact remains certain: failure to report for medical appointments results in diminished patient care, as well as lost profits in healthcare organizations. What’s more is that rising costs and ever-growing demands placed on healthcare providers have made it critical to use time and other resources as wisely as possible. There is just no room for chronic cancellations and no-shows in a modern healthcare environment.
Here are some stats that every hospital and practice administrator should know, according to a retrospective cohort study published in 2016:
- Across 10 clinics studied, the mean no-show rate was 18.8%.
- Overall, no-shows were worst in sub-specialist clinics. Gastrointestinal services were identified as having the highest incidence of no-shows, while Audiology proved to have the lowest.
- No-show rates remained high despite the implementation of a centralized phone reminder system. Phone reminders reduced the incidence from 16.3 % down to 15.8 %.
Experts analyzed the total cost of no-show appointments for the fiscal year of the study, and they concluded that the total loss across all 10 clinics added up to $14.58 million. The average cost for each patient no-show across all specialties was $196 per appointment. Clearly, this is not a problem that the healthcare industry can continue to ignore.
At Medbridge Transport, we’ve recognized this need, and we have made it our mission to support healthcare practices in restoring profitability and efficiency by ensuring that patients arrive to their appointments on time. Ask how a partnership with MedBridge Transport can improve your practice workflows and the quality of your healthcare delivery.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4714455/
